Alphabet Stats

I am uncomfortable showing a close-up of the alphabet sampler this time. There is just too much information available in a picture, so I will just tell you how far I am. I am one letter short of finishing my 6th alphabet (155), I have finished 4 sets of numbers (40), and 2 partial alphabets (29), for a total of 224. That is almost 55% done. That is a little deceiving, though, because I am just about ready to start the large monogram. If I count the monogram as a whole alphabet (because it will probably take about an alphabet's length to finish) I am just about 53% finished, which is still not bad.


I have been working on cleaning up my sewing room. I want to clear off my sewing table enough to keep my sewing machine up there, getting it off my dining room table. I am making progress, but there is a ways to go. As I am cleaning, I am discovering items that I am never going to use. I have been the repository of other's clean-up projects; several pieces of aida, a couple of pre-stitched needlepoint canvases (the kind my grandma M used to work), several punch-needle patterns, a silk canvas golden retriever that my eyes won't let me do, and a knit beaded purse, with the fiber, beads, purse frame, and pattern. If you are interested in any of these items, let me know, and it is yours.


I also found a whole stack of projects that are completely stitched, but not finished. I am thinking of showing pictures of those when I don't have a sampler picture. However, I'm on vacation this week, and I'm being lazy about taking pictures.

I am looking forward to tomorrow! The whole family will be here, all squeezed around our small table. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, getting together without all the hubbub of decorating and presents. I am so thankful for my family! I am also thankful for my home, my pets, my job, and my hobby.

I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow, if you are the US, celebrating with your family, or wherever you are in the world! I am thankful for you too!

Cross Stitch is not easy to Blog

Hello, I'm sorry I only blogged one time last week. C ended up sharing her cold with me, so I spent a day and 1/2 at home. I got a lot of stitching done on my Alphabet sampler! I finished a complete alphabet, and several other motifs, bringing me to 49% finished! This is going faster than I expected. However, I don't have a picture of my progress.

This past weekend I have been reading instead of stitching, so I decided to do a reading meme from Anna instead.

Favorite childhood book? I think that would have to be the Narnia series. I still re-read it on occasion. I can't wait for the new Narnia movie to come out (in about a week). It is my favorite of the series "The Dawn Treader."
What are you reading right now? I stayed up past midnight last night finishing "Paladin of Souls" by Bujold as a sequel to "Curse of Chalion." Next up in the queue is "Inside of a Dog."
What books do you have on request at the library? I am very bad at returning books to the library on time, so I would rather buy books. (See next question.)
Bad book habit? library fines!
What do you currently have checked out at the library? n/a
Do you have an e-reader? DH and I both have Nooks. It is very convenient.
Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once? If I am reading more than one at a time, it is because I have had a problem with one that I am reading.
Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog? Not really. They changed when I started full time work about 15 years ago, for several reasons.
Least favorite book you read this year (so far)? If I am not enjoying a book, I usually stop reading it so, I can't think of any.
Favorite book you have read this year? As I mentioned, I have been reading Bujold. I just discovered her this year, and I think I have read about a dozen of her books. My favorite so far has been "The Sharing Knife."
How often do you read out of your comfort zone? I read quite a bit for work, but not always books, more like articles. But I would say daily.
Can you read on the bus or train? My commute to work is 16 minutes driving, so I don't get to read on the way to work.
Favorite place to read? Someplace there is a book!? I do have an easy chair.
What is your policy on book lending? If I want it back, I put my name in it. I don't like lending my very favorites that I like to re-read, because if they don't come back I have to re-purchase them.
Do you ever dog-ear books? How else can I find my page?
Do you ever write in the margins of your books? Not very often.
Not even with text books? Oh, textbooks... of course I do.
What is your favorite language to read in? English.
If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose? I can read Spanish, but rarely for pleasure reading.
What makes you love a book? A happy ending! without too much suspense.
What will inspire you to recommend a book? When I know the kinds of books a person likes, I can tell if they would enjoy a specific book. Both DDs, DH, and my friend enjoy different kinds of books, but I have been able to recommend books to each of them.
Favorite genre? I enjoy romance, mystery, science fiction, historical, and fantasy. The more elements of each in a story, the more I enjoy it.
Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?) I don't read too much non-fiction, but I don't really want to...
Favorite biography? Um...
Have you ever read a self -help book? There have been a few.
Favorite cookbook? I really like the Victory Garden vegetable cookbook.
Most inspirational book you've read this year (fiction or non-fiction)? I just finished the book of Acts, and I was amazed.
Favorite reading snack? If there is chocolate in the house... otherwise a piece of fruit. I
know, messy.
Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience. The only thing I can think of is that I have not read "Eat, Pray, Love" because of the hype, so I guess my reading experience was ruined.
How often do you agree with critics about a book? I don't read critics regularly.
How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews? If I don't like a book, I don't finish it, so it is hard to give a review.
Most intimidating book you've ever read? My Calculus textbook!
Most intimidating book you're too nervous to begin? Um...
Favorite Poet? A lack in my life. I like Robert Louis Stevenson's poetry for kids... about my speed.
How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time? I haven't been using the library recently. I have at least a dozen unread books on my Nook.
How often have you returned books to the library unread? Often.
Favorite fictional characters? Paksenarion and Clare and Jamie.
Favorite fictional villain? Reformed villains... Eustace Stubbs.
Books I'm most likely to bring on vacation? Last April DH and I took several audio mysteries by J.A. Jance, and enjoyed it tremendously.
The longest I've gone without reading? 12 hours?
Name a book that you could/would not finish. I dislike suspense. If a book gets too suspenseful I put it down. The first time I did that was in 4th grade. I felt guilty, but I keep doing it.
What distracts you easily when you're reading? My Nook has a sudoku game. If the book is not gripping, I tend to wander off to sudoku.
Favorite film adaptation of a novel? I thought they did a good job with the "Fellowship of the Ring" and the other two.
Most disappointing film adaptation? I don't see a lot of movies... Narnia could have been better.
The most money I've ever spent in the bookstore at one time? DH and I together can do some damage, but we try to keep it under control. It was probably when I was in college buying textbooks.
How often do you skim a book before reading it? I like to page through a book before I buy it (or check it out of the library) but once I have it I just plunge in. That's what makes it hardest to buy e-books, or books on-line.
What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through? Too much suspense.
Do you like to keep your books organized? Yes. Science fiction is in the basement, by author, mystery in the bedroom, and romance under the bed!
Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you've read them? If I like it enough, and know I will want to reread, I keep. A couple of years ago I got rid of stacks of books, and haven't missed one; I should do it again, but I don't want to get rid of any of the books that DH wants to keep...
Are there any books you've been avoiding? I have "Count of Monte Cristo" on my iPod, and I have been avoiding that. I'm finding it quite suspenseful but I haven't given up on it yet.
Name a book that made you angry. Um...
A book you didn't expect to like but did. Robinson Crusoe! I was shocked by how good it was.
A book that you expected to like but didn't. I bought a book after reading a recommendation, and then couldn't get into it. It just went to the thrift store, and I cannot remember the name of it.
Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading. The Blue Castle by Montgomery. I loaned it to my mom, and as soon as it was out of the house I wanted to re-read it. It is a sweet love story.

Alphabet Sampler 2

Here is a picture of some progress on the Alphabet Sampler.



I Stitched ACHJK, NOP, R, the new numbers, the Fleur de lis and maple leaf motif, and the needle, thread, and thimble motif. According to my calculations, I am now at 40% done, which means, this project would not take forever to finish. (I also rolled the scroll bars, which is always a momentous occasion.)

I have also resolved the color dilemma: It doesn't really matter! LOL I stitched 3 letters in the darker color, and DH cannot tell the difference. Plus I discovered the floss I had used originally, which did turn out to be an Anchor color, 168. I am not going to take out the 3 letters I stitched, because I couldn't tell the difference this morning. Under my daylight bulb I can, but I don't think anyone will be studying it that hard. I am going back to the original color, though.

Thank you Karen, Debi, and Mom for your advice, it did help me to get going on this project again.

GITS

I had a package waiting at home after work one night this week. That is always exciting, especially when C is around. (It came in a Toy Story box too, which made it even more interesting.) Inside was this lovely temari from Nettie, for a GITS (Great International Temari Swap). I like the colors, and I love the beads. Thank you so much Nettie! Yours should be going out this week.



I accidentally signed up for a Martha Stewart magazine through JoAnn's this fall, and I got 2 issues. C was reading over my shoulder last night, and had a couple of comments. One comment was "there isn't a lot of sewing in this magazine, grandma!" She was right, most of the activities were crafty or cooking, not stitching. She did like looks of the Noah's Ark tree, but she didn't think we should make the ornaments out of cookies, she thought felt would be easier.

Does anyone have animal outlines, for felt ornaments for a Noah Christmas tree? (And I'm not even the one who is wrapped the tightest around her little finger!)

Some Numbers and a Dilemma

I stopped off yesterday afternoon and got a skein of 311, to see if that was the right blue color for my sampler. Unfortunately, that is not right either. Now I am thinking the blue that is already stitched may have faded over the 2 years my piece sat waiting for me to get back to it.

So now I don't know what to do. Any advice?

I'm tempted to just go ahead and use the 336, and let there be a difference in the color. I am going to check one more thing first though, I am going to check to see if I may have used an Anchor color. I don't know my Anchor colors very well, but it is possible. There is only one spot where it will be glaringly obvious, the middle of the letter "P" on the alphabet running vertically along the left side. The rest of the blues will be separated by other embroidery and white space.

Now for the numbers. There are 13 alphabets on the sampler. Now I haven't counted the letters in each alphabet. Many of them are French, and old, so letters would be left out. In several alphabets, I know there are additional letters, used if the name or initials have double letters or use an "A." It is too obvious if an alphabet starts with a letter other than "a" so that one usually gets doubled up. For example, on the alphabet I am working on now, the sequence is

A B D E F G A C H J K... etc.



In this example, "A" is repeated, and there is no "I."

So when I say there are 338 letters of the alphabet, you know that is an estimate. The same holds true for the sets of numbers. There are 10 different number fonts, so you would guess there are 100 numbers, but most of the sets have at least 1 number repeated, mostly to document birthdays. Plus the Roman Numeral set has like 30 characters (like).

I have 3 alphabets completely stitched, and 3 sets of numbers, and a good start on 4 additional alphabets. I calculate I have 154 letters or numbers stitched, plus a goodly number of the motifs, which seem to be clustered towards the top of the sampler. That gives me 35% completed, better than I expected. Since I picked it up, I have stitched ACFHJK and half of one of the sets of numbers.

Stitching and Perfectionism

I received a kit to make a tassel from my secret stitcher this past Tuesday. It called for a mini Tatool, a frame to make tassels on. Well, I knew I had a tatool, but when I found it discovered it was not a mini, but a full-sized one. So, I adjusted the pattern, added a different metallic thread and more beads from my stash, and made a tassel twice as big as the directions called for.



I learned several things.
1) When you are not going to cut the loops on a tassel, it does make a difference if your loops criss-cross each other on the loom. The tassel is nice and drapey, but the loops are all tangled on the bottom.
2) I should have followed the directions and used tape on my loose ends. There are several extra loops that do not add any beauty to the tassel.
3) Making tassels is fun! I think I will be doing this again!

Still no progress on stitching the temari I am working on. I do believe I know why I am dragging my feet on this one, though. Believe it or not, it is perfectionism! Me! Who knew.

I'm not happy any more just throwing stitches on to a ball, to see what they look like. I want them to turn out gorgeous, and I just don't have the skills to do that with this pattern. Of course, if I don't get busy and practice, I will never develop the skills either, so I'm between a rock and a hard place. I am going to have to follow the advice of www.flylady.net and set my timer for 15 minutes, and just do it. I can do anything for 15 minutes! And if it doesn't turn out gorgeous, oh well, I will have to try again.

While procrastinating, I pulled out a UFO that I started in 2007. It is a personalized sampler from Nouveau Encore that I have been in love with since I got it. At one point I had even put away all the fibers, but then had pulled them out again. Evidently, when I pulled them out, I forgot I had adjusted one of the blues, so I stitched some with the wrong color. That will have to come out. There are 12 pages of pattern, and I am done with 4, so I am at least 1/3 of the way done. The main problem is that it will be boring for you while I stitch this, because I will have nothing exciting to talk about, unless I get down to counting letters. There are at least 10 different alphabets: 87 letters down, at least 173 to go!

This pattern is what I have instead of the French Alphabet Sampler. That one cost over $200, (for the pattern!) and you had to submit your order at an exact time to be accepted, and then it would take months to get the final copy. I decided that was too many hoops to jump through, even though I loved the pattern. The last orders were accepted in September of 2009, so I'm not sure it's even available any more.

One additional incentive for me: if I ever get this done, I can start on one of my Chatelaine patterns. The Holland Tulip Mandala has been calling to me for a long time. Of course, once I get done with my current temari, the temari obsession may take over again!

Who knows what may happen!?

A Gift and a Question

I won a give-away on my friend Moonsilk Stitches' blog, this very nice felted acorn. I love the color! I have already worn it twice.







The pets in our house like it too. It has been carefully inspected by both cats and dog, and had to be rescued from becoming a cat toy.

The Question of the Month this month is "Is there a time you were very grateful for your needlework ability." I'm afraid I'm paraphrasing a little, but the question stuck with me because the answer is a resounding yes.

I recently mentioned the help the crewel sampler was when my living situation was difficult in high school, but there is a more important time. When I was going through treatment for breast cancer, sometimes my stitching was the only thing that kept me going. Some days it was the only reason to get up in the morning, besides taking care of our daughters. Of course, there were days when I could not do it, when I was too tired to even watch TV, but most of the time stitching was a wonderful escape. It was also a life saver when I was in doctor or hospital or lab or radiation waiting rooms. I spent a lot of time in those places, but when I had my stitching, I didn't mind at all, I was accomplishing something positive.

During that time period, (the first half of 1992) I completed a major project every 3 weeks or so. When real life started back up, I continued with the mind-set that I would be needing new projects that frequently for quite a while, and was frustrated when I couldn't get to the new things I wanted to stitch. I am more likely to need 3 years for a project now, but I still remember the sense of accomplishment.